Indigenous peoples facts for kids

Indigenous people means the first people who lived in any region, and not later immigrants.

Indigenous people can also be described as aborigines, native people, first people, first nations and autochthonous. The United Nations prefers the phrase Indigenous peoples to these descriptions. The other descriptions sometimes sound negative. (pejorative)

Very often, indigenous people were forced into slavery or badly treated by settlers and immigrants. Indigenous people were oppressed in colonial times. Colonial settlers often robbed the indigenous treasures and lands. Indigenous people were often made slaves, or killed by colonial settlers.

Colonialism often wanted indigenous people to believe that they were lower social class than the new settlers. This is propaganda. Indigenous people can grow up believing that they are lower social class, or less important. Indigenous people sometimes have to fight for their own land, their own history, human rights and equality.